Community council update

Following last January’s devastating flooding, Aberdeenshire Council asked Community Councils in each of the affected communities to provide information on three priority areas for remedial action.

For Kintore, those areas most affected were by the burn which runs along the rear of the Fire Station and properties on Northern Road; the burn which runs through the Nicol Road and Macallan Road areas and thirdly, the lower end of Kingsfield Road where most damage was caused to houses last year.

There will need to be significant research into possible solutions for the first two locations. For example, the burn at the rear of the Fire Station enters or leaves that route by running under the railway line at two locations. Blocking these points may seem sensible, but is not an option due to other factors which may require some major engineering works.

At the third location at the lower end of Kingsfield Road, there seemed to be scope for an easier solution and the Council arranged a meeting involving members of its Flood Team, Councillor Lonchay, the landowner, a significant number of local residents and members of the Community Council.

The site meeting took place on 23 June and options are now being actively considered by the Council and landowner.

Also on the theme of flooding and following the experiences from previous events, it has been agreed that the versatility of the Public Hall makes it first choice as the focal point for our Community’s response to future serious incidents, including flooding.

As part of a Community Resilience Plan, the Community Council successfully applied for a grant to purchase a large generator, which will be sited alongside the Hall and used in circumstances where power cuts are caused by such incidents, allowing the Hall to continue operating. We are currently working on the installation of the generator.

Area police officers attend our meetings and provide information on local crimes and offences and initiatives to combat them.

A recent example was the vandalising of poly tunnels at the rear of Kintore Primary school, with bags containing drugs also found in the vicinity. This senseless crime was depressing for the young children who were involved in the poly tunnel project.

The presence of drugs near our schools and youth facilities such as The Bothie is worrying and should be of serious concern to us all.

An example of anti-social behaviour is the disturbance caused by cars revving and tyres screeching on our streets and in the car park of the School. Speeding on various streets in Kintore is also frequently reported to the police.

Whilst it is difficult to catch those responsible in the act of committing these and other crimes and offences, the police are focussed on doing so. Public support in the form of information would be much appreciated and anonymous information on these and other crimes, offences and anti- social behaviour can of course be reported to the Crimestoppers hotline. Names, addresses or other means of identifying suspects and other information such as registration numbers of vehicles would obviously be of benefit to the police.

Residents in some of Kintore’s outlying areas experience major problems with BT Broadband and a report was compiled by the Community Council on the deficiencies. Aberdeenshire Council’s contribution to the scheme was £16M to BT to upgrade the network throughout the ‘Shire, but that has not yet been done to the satisfaction of some customers. It seems the terms of the agreement may not have been clear and the matter is now to be the subject of referral to the Scottish Government.

The Community Council, supported by the local Scouts, the Rotary Club and other organisations, was responsible for reintroducing the annual Bonfire and Fireworks display 3 years ago and plans are already underway for this year’s event. Weather permitting, it will take place on Friday 3 November in Kintore School park, with activity starting around 6.30pm. Volunteers to help at the event would be appreciated.

On to Planning and discussion is still taking place relative to the construction of a new roundabout, to replace the existing small one, or the alternative installation of a traffic light system, at the Midmill / Kemnay Road junction. This has been brought about by the construction of more industrial premises at Midmill, with increased traffic expected as a result.

Two KDCC members attend Bus Forum meetings and from recent meetings have learned that although the No 37 bus service has been cut to two per hour, there is also the x20 bus service to and from Kemnay, which goes along School Road once every hour, to and from Aberdeen, making that 3 buses per hour to Aberdeen from Kintore. Even regular bus users may not be fully aware of that.

For several years now KDCC has run a Best Garden competition in Kintore. By the time this magazine goes to print and has been distributed, the event will have been concluded and a winner selected. We are grateful for the assistance provided by Jim McColl of Beechgrove Garden fame for supporting us in the judging process.The Best Garden competition supplements the floral displays in the town centre which make Kintore look colourful and welcoming.

As can be seen, there is a lot happening in Kintore and the Community Council exists to be the link between the Council and the community and represent and inform the public of matters likely to affect them.

Councillors Ford, Hood and Lonchay attend the meetings. Their combined Council experiences are invaluable and they are available for consultation on a variety of issues.

At recent meetings, we have seen new people attending and sometimes for only one meeting. They have shown interest in what is going on in the town and we have welcomed their involvement. Why not take the opportunity to do as they did?

Our meetings take place on the third Tuesday of each month, at Kintore School, starting at 7pm and the next one is on 19 September.